Consequences
by goblz
Summary: Cassie remembers the details of the accident as another accident befalls Daniel.
1. Chapter 1

**Consequences**

**A/N: I have never written a Y&R fic that actually turned out well! LOL. Before you read the story, you should know that before last week, it'd been awhile since I was a constant watcher of the show. If I mess up details or something, please let me know but please also be forgiving. LOL. Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**Summary: Cassie remembers the details of the accident as another accident befalls Daniel.**

**Chapter One**

She kept seeing Daniel's face, and she didn't know why. Cassie Newman had been home from the hospital for three days, and the entire last day, she kept seeing Daniel Romalotti's face, both in her sleep and while she was awake, as if in a flashback or a daydream. She got the feeling it was more than a daydream. His face was hazy in her mind; it looked like he was asleep somewhere. But she was still recovering and didn't have much energy to think it through, nor much time as her family was waiting on her hand and foot and had a tendency to smother.

Cassie looked over at the phone that sat on the end table next to her bed and considered calling Daniel. In spite of what everyone said, she couldn't help worrying about him. He was facing serious jail time; he had to be freaking out.

"Hey, honey, I brought you lunch," Sharon Newman greeted, entering her daughter's bedroom with a tray of food. She approached her daughter's bed with a smile, placing the tray of food down on Cassie's dresser. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired but okay," Cassie replied.

"I thought we could watch a movie or something. Are you feeling up to that?"

Cassie shifted in her bed, slowly sitting up enough to be able to eat. "Maybe a little later. I don't want to fall asleep during it. Maybe Dad and Noah could watch it with us after dinner?"

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Sharon agreed. "Except we probably won't all agree on a movie," she added with a chuckle.

Cassie paused. "Mom, can I call Daniel?"

Sharon looked at her hesitantly, fire coming into the mother's eyes. "No, Cassie. That isn't a good idea. Look at what he did to you!"

"Mom, I'm worried about him. I don't think he's handling this very well. This could ruin his whole life. I wish I could find a way to help him."

"Honey, he drove drunk. Daniel did this to himself," Sharon said firmly. She picked up the tray and set it down in front of Cassie. "Now eat up, I want you to keep up your strength."

"What strength?" Cassie mumbled bitterly as she picked up the sandwich her mom had made for her. "Mom… this accident just doesn't make sense. I remember promising that I wouldn't let Daniel drive. I don't understand why I got in the car with him when he was so drunk, why I let him drive in the first place."

"Well, sweetie, that is something your dad and I want to talk with you about later, when you're stronger. For now, don't worry about the accident, and don't worry about Daniel. He's not your concern."

After that Sharon ended the conversation and made Cassie eat. When her mom left her to take a nap, Cassie didn't call Daniel. She was, however, thinking about him instead of sleeping, trying to discern why she felt so strongly that something big just wasn't adding up.

* * *

He wouldn't face vehicular homicide. Daniel felt more relieved over that than he could possibly express, mostly because it meant that Cassie wasn't going to die. He'd been so concerned about her it overshadowed all the trouble he was in from the accident. But the night he spent in jail had really scared him as well. He'd never felt so alone and helpless, and that said a lot considering the things he'd been through with his parents.

The only people he had in his corner now were his mom, Christine Williams, Kevin Fisher and Lily Winters. Daniel had no idea if his father even knew what was going on yet; he was on his way to Europe for a big concert tour and to Daniel's knowledge, no one had reached him yet.

Everywhere in Genoa City Daniel went, he was now an outcast. Nearly all his friends had deserted him. Driving drunk had made him the evilest guy in town. The worst part was, his entire life was ruined over an even he couldn't remember.

He'd also thrown his mother's life into chaos. Now they were living in the Abbott house and things were incredibly tense. He felt like an intruder, and the only place he could get real privacy was his bedroom.

Today, however, Daniel had almost the entire house to himself. His mom, Phyllis Abbott, had gone back to work a few days ago; Jack and Ashley were also at work. The only ones around were Gloria and John. John was busy with his physical therapy and avoiding Gloria would be easy enough. Mamie, who happened to be Lily's great aunt, was incredibly nice to him so he thought he might go downstairs and get some food from her. Then he could stroll around the backyard. He really wanted the fresh air so he decided to head on downstairs.

Before he could reach the dining room, Gloria called out to him. "We don't see much of you around here," she said politely.

He turned around so his back wasn't to her, but he kept his gaze to the floor. Gloria happened to be Kevin's mom, but she also didn't seem very happy to have him in the house.

"Your face is starting to heal nicely," she commented when he didn't say anything.

"Uh, thanks," he mumbled. His swollen, cut up face was yet another reminder that he didn't need of the accident, and it wasn't healing fast enough for him.

"So, do you get along well with John?" she asked.

"Uh, I don't really know him that well. Listen, it is very nice of you all to let us stay here, especially with the circumstances…"

"Yes, well, it was John's decision and not mine," Gloria replied bitterly. She then forced a smile. "So, I understand you are friends with my younger son Kevin?"

Daniel nodded, and she nodded in return. "Well, you're lucky to have him for a friend. I understand you don't have many friends left after what happened."

He took a deep breath, feeling himself getting upset. Gloria was eyeing him closely and he shifted his weight uncomfortably. He could just imagine what she was thinking and he'd heard enough of it from other people in Genoa City. So before she could say anything else, he excused himself and headed quickly into the kitchen.

* * *

"Lilly? Lily, are you there?" Devon Hamilton waved his hand in front of his foster sister's face.

She snapped back immediately, joking that she'd spaced out. He gave her a look and she knew he knew better. She dared not tell him that she kissed Daniel almost a week ago, and that since then she'd been daydreaming about kissing him again. But ever since that day he had been even more closed off. The day they kissed was the most open he'd been with her, and she couldn't reach him since.

Daniel kept telling her that they couldn't get closer because he was on the verge of going to jail, and he didn't want to mess up her life. He insisted that she was better off without him; what worried her more was that he felt that way towards everyone in his life, including his mom. She was growing increasingly worried about him, and her parents were increasingly tightening the leash when it came to him.

"You're thinking about Daniel again," Devon stated, sounding exasperated. At the look she fired at him, he put his hands. "I won't say anything, Lily. I just think he's a waste of your time. Neil and Dru think so, too."

"Well, I don't have to agree with you. And I'm sick of getting into this with you."

"Lily… all right, fine. I'm cool."

Lily looked away and wondered if she should go to the Abbotts to see Daniel. He probably felt strange living with several people he hardly knew. She didn't want to push him farther away, but she didn't want him to completely withdraw into himself, either. She didn't know how best to help him, what steps she should take around him. She really wanted to be there for him more than anything else, but was lost on how to do it.

Phyllis Abbott sat in her office thumbing through papers, glancing over at the phone every few seconds. She had finally managed to reach Danny's agent, who promised he would get the rock star to call her. She hoped he called soon; the faster he could get to Genoa City the better.

Daniel was becoming unglued; he was so withdrawn from everyone, and now that they'd moved into the Abbotts he hardly came out of his room. He didn't talk to anyone, he hadn't joined the family for meals. Everytime she tried to talk, he just seemed more withdrawn. It was scaring her; if she couldn't reach him, his father had to be able to. Otherwise she didn't know what she would do.

The phone rang and Phyllis jumped to answer it. "Danny?"

"Phyllis?" Danny's voice echoed back in her ears. "What's going on? My agent said to call you right away. Is Daniel all right?"

"Danny, thank God you called," she replied, bringing her hand up to her forehead. "Daniel… Daniel is in big trouble; I need you to get back to Genoa City as soon as you can. Daniel needs you here."

* * *

Cassie knew she should be sleeping but her worry for Daniel kept her awake just a bit longer. She was beginning to think that the image of Daniel she kept seeing was a flashback, although that didn't make a lot of sense. It looked like he was asleep or unconscious; had she been awake after the accident and seen him?

Even worrying about Daniel hadn't been able to prevent her from falling asleep, because her body tired easily. She tried to fight the oncoming sleep, but after a few minutes gave in.

Cassie's sleep had been full of dreams lately, and today was no different. She saw him again, but this time saw more. He wasn't unconscious in the ditch after the accident—he was in the backseat of his car. She saw her own hands reaching into Daniel's pocket and pulling out his car keys. She saw herself turning the ignition to the car.

With a start, Cassie awoke. She tried to sit up, but her head protested the fast movement. Now that she'd seen those flashes, she remembered! Daniel had been passed out in the backseat of his car. He hadn't driven drunk—she was the one who drove and crashed the car!

* * *

Daniel grabbed some cookies from the kitchen and headed to the backyard. He hoped that his mom or Christine would reach his dad soon. He could really use his dad around.

His thoughts drifted to Lily. He remembered the kisses they had shared together last week at the tack house; he had enjoyed that time he spent with her so much. But he couldn't let himself get close to her. He couldn't let her get close to him. In this situation, it was impossible. They'd both end up hurt from it, and Daniel didn't want that to happen. He had too much on his mind to try to cope with forming a relationship before heading off to jail; and in no way would he put Lily in that position.

He neared the pool, caught up in his thoughts about the accident, Lily, and his parents. He wasn't watching where he stepped as he walked, and didn't pay attention to all the water surrounding the pool. He heard something behind him and jumped, causing him to lose his footing and slip on a puddle of water. He crashed to the ground, his head striking the harsh edge of a concrete step. He was unconscious before he hit the water, and after the splash the waters were calm again.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As you can see I'm going in a completely different direction than the show as I'm not killing off Cassie. Sorry this chapter took so long; the next chapter should come a bit quicker. Thanks for all the reviews, I love to hear what you guys think. Make sure you keep them coming because they really inspire me a lot!**

**Chapter Two**

John Abbott felt utterly exhausted after his grueling routine for his physical therapy. If he wasn't so committed to his recovery from the hip replacement, then he would strongly object to having to do all this twice a day.

Gitta was planning on staying in the study for a little while, so John headed out to the kitchen. He hated walking with a walker, and he hated making such slow progress across the room. He felt much older than his years walking so slowly.

"All finished with your physical therapy, John?" his wife greeted him as he walked into the kitchen.

"Until this evening," he replied, trying to ignored the irritated look that came across her face.

"Well, how about some lunch? I can make us some sandwiches and we could have some lemonade."

Although he knew his wife had been trying too hard to mend the fences between them, John thought this invitation sounded like a nice idea, and suggested that they eat outside in the back. "It's a lovely day, and I haven't had any fresh air in awhile."

Gloria beamed. "That would be great. You go on out and I'll bring everything to you in just a few minutes."

With a nod, John slowly headed outside. The bright sun overhead shone brightly. The grounds were quiet aside from a few birds chirping nearby. John smiled and took a deep breath, enjoying the feel of the fresh spring air.

After a minute he decided to look for a place to eat. He wouldn't be able to sit on the ground, so he headed towards the pool, around which the patio furniture was set up. He knew he'd have to walk carefully around the pool so as not to risk slipping on any water, but it was the only place out here he could think of to sit.

He neared the pool and froze. Laying face down in the deep end of the pool was a body. "Oh my God," he whispered, trying to hurry towards the pool. "Daniel? Daniel!"

* * *

Nick Newman nearly had a heart attack when he heard his daughter yelling out. He and his wife had been sitting on the couch enjoying a rare moment together; both rushed up to Cassie's room in alarm.

Panicked, Nick burst through the door and demanded to know what was wrong. Seeing Cassie's alarmed, tearful face as she tried to find words made his panic grow.

"Should we call the doctor, sweetie?" Sharon asked, sounding only slightly calmer than her husband as she stepped up around him to Cassie's side.

The young teen shook her head. "I… I remember the accident," she explained. "You have to call the police."

Nick took a few breaths to calm down. "You remember what happened?" That came unexpectedly, but he had known there was a possibility of her remembering.

"You… you want to put in a statement against Daniel?" Sharon asked with slight confusion. Cassie had so adamantly expressed that Daniel shouldn't be in trouble, that it had all been an accident and he shouldn't suffer more for it. Where was Cassie coming from?

"No," Cassie replied, looking at her parents wide-eyed. She took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad… There's something I have to tell you."

"Okay, go ahead," Nick said, sitting down on the bed. Sharon knelt down by Cassie's head.

"Daniel… he wasn't driving drunk. We have to get those charges dropped."

Sharon and Nick exchanged a look. "Cassie," Sharon said gently. "His blood alcohol level was very high. You even said you remembered promising not to let him drive at the party."

"No!" Cassie exclaimed, frustrated. "He wasn't driving at all! Mom, he's not the one who crashed the car."

"Calm down. If he didn't crash the car, then who did?" Nick asked.

Cassie took a deep breath. "I did."

A brief pause passed between the three Newmans. "Sweetie," Sharon said finally. "We know how worried you've been about Daniel, I know you didn't want him to get in trouble for this. But taking the blame for him won't solve that. There isn't anything you can do to help him."

"You're not listening," Cassie insisted. "I remember all of it! Daniel… he was passed out in the backseat. All my friends had left, so… I didn't want to call you guys because I didn't want to get in trouble. Then I found Daniel… and he wouldn't wake up and everyone was leaving. So I thought I could drive us home." She waited for her parents to say something, but neither of them did; both just watched her with shock slowly appearing on their faces. "I took his keys from his jacket," she continued. "I was driving, and I'm the one who crashed the car. I'm really sorry!"

"Are you sure about this, Cassie?" Nick asked.

"Positive, Dad. Can we please call the police and get them to drop the charges?"

Sharon shook her head. "Cassie, you really can't take the blame for this. The police know he was the one driving."

"No, they assumed it was him. We were both thrown from the car, remember? You told me that yourself." She waited for her parents to do something, but watched instead as they exchanged looks. Getting upset, she tried to sit up.

Her mom gently grabbed her shoulders. "Honey, you need your rest, you have to stay in bed. Don't get yourself excited."

Cassie looked up and shook her head. "Mom, I am not lying! Please, you have to trust me on this! Please!"

Both parents were startled at the severity on their daughter's face and in her tone. They looked at each other again with grave expressions, unsure of whether to believe Cassie or not—unsure now of what really did happen. One thing Nick knew in his heart that he just couldn't deny—Cassie may have lied to them about a few things recently, but over something this serious she always told the truth.

* * *

Within minutes of getting off the phone with his ex-wife, Danny Romalotti had made plans to head back to Genoa City. The last couple of concerts at the end of his tour would have to be cancelled, but he couldn't regret that. His fans would just have to understand that his family came first.

How could Daniel have gotten himself into such a mess? Drunk driving… it did not sound like his son at all. As he headed to the airport, having just made a call that he needed his private jet immediately, he tried to wrap his mind around the idea of what Phyllis had told him.

He hadn't always been there for his son; yes, he had sent Daniel to boarding school, and Daniel had done most of his growing up there. However, Danny loved his son and had only done what he thought was best for the boy. He knew he shouldn't second guess himself now, but he couldn't help it. If he had been around more, would this have happened?

Maybe he shouldn't have left Genoa City. Danny had jumped at the chance to restart his career; had that come at the sacrifice of his son? If Danny had been in Genoa City, maybe he would have noticed something, been able to do something to prevent the accident.

There was a while there when Daniel didn't have much faith in either of his parents, but now Danny and Phyllis would both stand by him and show him the love they both felt for him. He couldn't imagine the fear and the pain Daniel must be experiencing, but whatever Danny could do to help, he resolved to do it.

He picked up his cell phone again and called Christine Williams. Phyllis had said that Christine was Daniel's lawyer, so he had to call her and see what was going on. He needed to know before he arrived in Genoa City the charges Daniel was facing. He had to be fully equipped to deal with whatever was to come.

* * *

Shortly after talking to Danny, Phyllis received a call from Jack inviting her to lunch with him. She quickly jumped at the opportunity, needing a break from work even though she had a lot to catch up on. She hoped she could dodge Drucilla Winters on her way out, or Dru would read her the riot act.

She was getting sick of hearing it from everyone about her son. Yes, Daniel had made a huge mistake, and Phyllis too was mad at him for it. Everyone made mistakes, however, and most of the people who were so quick to trash Daniel after the accident had made great mistakes, too. She wanted to turn the finger back the other way. Mostly she wanted people to leave her son alone.

Her determination to reach Daniel was helped by the fact that Danny was finally headed home. Daniel might not want to see that he's disappointed both his parents, but having them both there on his side should help him tremendously. The Abbotts had been a great help to her, but no one would be able to help with Daniel the way his father could.

She let her mind at ease as much as was possible for the moment and rushed out of the office to have lunch with Jack, who was just about the only good thing going in her life right now.

* * *

At John's loud cried for help, both Gloria and Gitta came running. Upon seeing what was wrong, Gitta immediately plunged herself forth to the edge of the pool, reaching out for Daniel's limp hand. As the therapist slowly pulled him forth, Gloria kneeled down in her high heels, obviously trying to help without getting wet. When Gitta had pulled the boy closer, Gloria reached out for his other hand.

"Mr. Abbott, go into the house and call 911," Gitta yelled over her shoulder. Immediately he headed for the poolhouse, mentally cursing at how slow the fastest pace he could manage really was.

The two women both tugged at Daniel's arms until they could reach his shoulders; as they lifted him up out of the water, they saw the blood dripping down Daniel's face. With much effort they got him out of the pool and onto the concrete. Gitta immediately checked his breathing and reached for a pulse. "He's not breathing," she informed the horrified Gloria. "There's no pulse. I hope it hasn't been too long since he fell in." And with that, she began CPR, ordering Gloria to follow with chest compressions. When Gloria hesitated, Gitta huffed and did it herself, then quickly returned to mouth-to-mouth.

Finally Gitta managed to expel the water from Daniel's lungs, but although he coughed and shuddered for a second, he did not regain consciousness.

Gloria inquired to why, but Gitta could only guess it was either from the head injury or because he'd been underwater too long.

"Well, we should move him inside until the paramedics arrive," Gloria suggested. "We should get him wrapped up in some blankets."

Gitta quickly rejected that idea, insisting that with a head injury, they might cause him more damage by moving him. "We might have done so already by moving him out of the pool the way we did. We had to do that, but now we must wait for the ambulance."

Gloria was used to having her suggestions shot down; what annoyed her this time was how stupid it made her look. The women huddled there by the pool with Daniel lying between them as the sound of sirens filled their ears. John soon rejoined them, and within seconds the only unlively thing happening at the Abbott house was Daniel himself.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. I'm sorry this has taken me so long. Anyone else incredibly upset that they actually killed Cassie? Cuz I am. I am of the opinion that if they wanted to kill one of Nick and Sharon's kids, which was a brave move, by the way, they should have killed Noah. Camryn Grimes was an asset to the show, and it's rare for a soap to have one kid play the same character growing up. They don't have that with Noah!**

**Enough about that though, lol. Here's your chapter. Just about everyone's in it, but not together. Let me know what you think!**

**Chapter Three**

Nick called Detective Webber at Cassie's insistence, a sick feeling in his stomach. They talked for a while; Webber was surprised to hear what Nick had to say, but Nick said he felt it might be true and that Cassie was insisting on it.

"Daniel's car is still in the impound lot," Webber said. "I can dust the steering wheel and the driver's side door for prints; see if Cassie's prints are there. I'll need to get a statement from Cassie about this, if that's really what happened."

Webber sounded doubtful, but the more Nick thought on it, the more he believed his daughter. The more he believed her, the more upset he became over all of it.

For Cassie to get into a car with a drunk driver, and for that driver to crash the car, was one thing. But for Cassie to get into a car that wasn't hers, drive it without a license and without permission from the driver, changed things drastically. He didn't want to believe that Cassie had caused this, that she had done this to herself. She had made a lot of bad decisions lately, but this one had nearly killed her. And even though he didn't want to admit it, her actions had also endangered Daniel.

_Daniel's fine,_ Nick thought bitterly. _And if he hadn't been drinking so much then he could have driven them both home and none of this would have happened in the first place. _Nick was not about to let Daniel off scot-free; he had still been drinking underage. He still shared in the blame.

When he hung up the phone, Nick looked around the house. Suddenly it was extremely quiet. Nick had sent Noah up to the main house before he had called the detective. Sharon was still upstairs with Cassie. Nick shuddered as he remembered how close Cassie had come to never coming home again.

Sharon came downstairs a few minutes later. They shared a long look and then she took a seat on the couch. "Cassie wants to call Daniel, tell him what she remembered."

"I don't think we should tell him anything until Detective Webber goes to take a look at that car. She might have just been having a weird dream about the accident." Nick didn't know why he said that, because he didn't believe it. Perhaps to offer some sort of comfort to his wife, because he could see she was just as torn up about this as he was.

She looked doubtful at his words. "I… I really don't think so, Nick. We may not want to face it, but I think she's telling the truth. I think she's right. It… it makes more sense."

"Yeah, too much sense," he agreed, running his right hand through his hair.

"She's been wanting to drive, she was desperate to get her permit. And… Cassie knows better than to ride with a drunk driver." Sharon's eyes began to water. "What should we do about this, Nick?"

Nick sighed, at a bit of a loss. "We… see what Detective Webber finds. Before we worry about any kind of punishment, Cassie needs to get better. We focus on that."

The two agreed that was their first priority. Both were relieved to have a distraction from Noah, but they exchanged looks back and forth for the rest of the afternoon. Eventually they would have to face what was going on.

* * *

The ambulance pulled up in front of the hospital, sirens blaring. Two doctors and two nurses ran out of the doors to meet it, and the paramedics rushed to help them unload the unconscious teenager. Daniel didn't move as everyone whirled around him; not even an eyelash flickered. His hair was still soaked from the pool water. The paramedics had removed his wet shirt and wrapped him in a blanket to keep him from getting too cold. On his face he wore an oxygen mask, a neck brace had kept his head still during the ride in the ambulance, and an IV line was already in his right arm.

"Vitals are weak," the first paramedic reported as everyone rushed the gurney inside. "Unknown amount of time without oxygen to his brain, potential water in his lungs."

The paramedics stopped as Daniel was taken into a trauma room, their job complete. They went to the front desk to fill out some of their paperwork as John, Gloria and Gitta came in. John questioned the paramedics about Daniel.

"Someone will be out to let you know about your son," one of them replied, and John didn't correct him. Gloria and Gitta both wanted him to sit down on the couch, but he shook his head in refusal. There was a phone call he had to make.

* * *

Phyllis' stomach growled, telling her too many hours had passed without eating. She decided to finish up the report she was writing and then go to lunch. She could go back to the Abbotts and eat with her son, and hope that he would talk to her. She could tell him that his father was on his way back, and hopefully that would cheer him up a bit. If hearing that bit of news didn't help, Phyllis didn't think anything would.

Just as she was done with her report, her cell phone rang. Rolling her eyes at the timing, Phyllis reached into her purse and pulled out the phone. "Hello?"

"Phyllis, it's John Abbott."

"Hello, John, what can I do for you?" Phyllis asked, surprised to receive a call from her former father-in-law. Even though she was living in his house, she couldn't think of a reason for him to be calling, unless he was calling about Daniel. "Did Daniel do something?"

"Yes and no. I'm at the ER right now; Daniel has had an accident at the pool."

Her heart skipped a beat. Her brain registered what she had been told, but not a thing more. She found herself choking out words, wanting to know what happened.

"He must have slipped on the concrete and hit his head. He fell into the pool, though, and he was unconscious when I found him."

"I'll be right there," Phyllis said and then slammed her phone shut. For a second she sat paralyzed to her spot. The last time she had gotten a phone call about Daniel being in the hospital, he had been fine. An unwelcome feeling of déjà vu overcame her. Blinking back tears, she grabbed her purse and raced to the door, knowing instinctively that her son was not fine this time.

* * *

Lily had tried calling Daniel five times before she finally left a message on his voicemail. Wondering why he wouldn't answer, she thought maybe she should go to the Abbotts and check on him.

He'd been a wreck emotionally ever since the accident. She didn't think he would go so far as to hurt himself, but she did know how frightened he was of jail. Cassie getting out of the hospital should have been one less worry on his mind, but it wasn't. He had almost killed her. Lily wondered if Daniel would ever forgive himself for that.

"I'm not going to let him push me away," Lily said aloud, determined to somehow get through to the withdrawing teenager. That had to be why he wasn't answering his phone—he didn't want to talk to anyone. He'd been pushing her and everyone else away.

She had to make him understand that she loved him. They hadn't gotten far enough into the relationship to exchange "I love yous" but she did. She couldn't let him pull away from everyone, especially not her. She wasn't going to let him feel like he was alone, because he would always have her. He had to know that. Despite what her parents said, she was going to be there for Daniel. Her parents couldn't control who she loved.

She decided to head over to the Abbotts, even knowing her parents would be unhappy about it. She grabbed her purse and left her bedroom, heading for the front door, only to be stopped by her mother.

"Where do you think you're going?" Drusilla demanded.

"I'm going to see Daniel," Lily replied adamantly.

"No, you're not. I don't want you to have anything to do with that boy."

"Well, you don't get a say in it, Mom," Lily snapped, knowing by the expression her mother's face that she would be in big trouble later. "Daniel needs somebody, Mom, he needs me. He's hardly talking to anyone anymore!"

"I don't care about who he talks to so long as it isn't you," Dru said. "He did this to himself, honey. He's going to go to jail where he belongs, and if I have to ground you to keep you away from him, then I will."

"If you ground me, then I will just sneak out to see him," the teenager promised. "Mom, you can't keep me away from him. Please, just accept that I have to be there for him." And before Dru could say anything in reply, Lily was gone.

* * *

Danny Romalotti was on his plane heading to Genoa City as fast as he could manage. The rest of his European tour was cancelled. Danny knew that didn't bode well for his career, but he didn't much care at the moment. His fans would just have to understand "family emergency." If they didn't, he would deal with it.

He should have made himself more accessible in case his son needed him. He had second-guessed sending Daniel to boarding school several times, but had thought his son would be okay in Genoa City, what with both Phyllis and Christine being there. Now he realized he shouldn't have made himself so hard to get a hold of.

He tried calling Daniel's cell phone, wanting to talk to his son, but got no answer. He tried Phyllis again, but she didn't answer either. Frowning, he called Christine. She could give him an idea of what Daniel was facing. She, as both his friend and his son's lawyer, would be truthful but also gentle.

Hearing that Daniel had driven drunk and almost killed Cassie Newman had shocked Danny. That didn't sound like Daniel at all. He shouldn't have even been drinking, and Danny supposed that it was his fault that his teenaged son had gotten so drunk in the first place. Being the son of a rock star couldn't have been easy, and in that kind of life, it was hard not to get caught in a partying lifestyle.

Now his son was facing serious jail time. His life could never be the same after that. Twenty years in prison would change him. Danny winced at the idea of his son spending twenty years with hard criminals. When Daniel came out after that, there would be no telling what he would be like, what he would have gone through.

"Don't think about that now," Danny whispered to himself. He had to focus on just getting home.

When Christine answered, she sounded frantic, which he hadn't expected. Upon hearing his voice, she exclaimed, "Danny, thank God!"

The words that he heard from her next sucked the color from his face. Although airplanes were the fastest mode of transportation available, it wasn't fast enough. Danny was suddenly very impatient to get home.

**TBC**


End file.
